Laser-based directed energy deposition with mullite: A necessary step for lunar regolith printing
2025 (English)In: Materials & design, ISSN 0264-1275, E-ISSN 1873-4197, Vol. 258, article id 114605Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Additive manufacturing (AM) is pivotal in advancing in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies for space exploration, enabling the construction of lunar infrastructure directly from local materials such as lunar regolith. Among the various AM techniques, laser-based directed energy deposition (DED-LB) offers scalability and binder-free processing, making it highly suitable for fabricating large-scale components on the Moon. However, the limited availability of actual lunar regolith necessitates the use of simulants. Mullite, an aluminosilicate ceramic with a chemical composition closely resembling that of highland lunar regolith, is a promising candidate. In this study, synthetic mullite with a spherical morphology was employed as a model feedstock to investigate the feasibility of fabricating multilayer 3D printed components using the DED-LB process. The high thermal stability and round particle morphology of mullite make it an ideal proof-of-concept material to understand the thermal and mechanical challenges associated with lunar regolith printing. A combination of in-situ thermal monitoring and microstructural characterization was used to define optimal process parameters and assess print quality. The results demonstrate the suitability of mullite for DED-LB and contribute to the development of scalable AM processes for future lunar infrastructure.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier Ltd , 2025. Vol. 258, article id 114605
Keywords [en]
Additive manufacturing, Directed energy deposition, In-situ resource utilization, Lunar regolith, Mullite, Additives, Deposition, In situ processing, Lunar missions, Lunar surface analysis, Morphology, Space research, Directed energy, Energy depositions, In-situ resource utilizations, Laser-based, Local materials, Manufacturing IS, Manufacturing techniques, Space explorations
National Category
Manufacturing, Surface and Joining Technology Vehicle and Aerospace Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ri:diva-79374DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2025.114605Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105014271951OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ri-79374DiVA, id: diva2:2017423
Note
Article; Granskad
2025-11-282025-11-282025-11-28Bibliographically approved